61: Zhao Ming was terrified

In the past, if the Chen Jun who struggled at the bottom, constantly worrying about his lifespan running out, had faced the reprimand of a Planet-level Expert, he would likely have been terrified and groveling.

But now...

Who is he?

He is the ultimate winner, holding the System in his hands, blessed with eleven daughters of Innate Aptitude, destined for eternal life, and about to possess the divine skill of "Multiple Benefits"!

Bicker with a low-level Planetary Level petty bureaucrat who climbed the ranks through bootlicking?

How demeaning!

Simply too demeaning!

Chen Jun felt no ripples in his heart; in fact, he almost wanted to laugh.

He adhered to the "Code of Conduct for the Immortal" that he had summarized over the past year—the Principle of Concession for the Happy.

I am happy, so I concede...

The strong never blame the environment, but I happen to be weak~

Gold always shines, but I happen to be iron~

If someone can defeat me, I won't fight them~

If I had even a little bit of ability, I wouldn't have absolutely none at all~

Rather than pushing myself, it's better to let myself off the hook~

...

He silently hummed the "Song of the Dao of Survival" he had composed to soothe his mood, feeling his thoughts instantly become much clearer.

True, Leader Yun Xi had guaranteed his safety.

But what if the leader was at a critical moment of seclusion, or... taking a nap?

The "Longevity Multiplier" was activated, and he was steadily gaining lifespan every day, which was delightful...

But "Multiple Benefits" hadn't been activated yet!

He didn't even have grandchildren yet!

If he got into a conflict with someone now and ended up capsizing in a gutter, wouldn't that be a massive loss?

Stay low!

Must stay low!

Develop stealthily, don't be reckless!

...

Once I have children and grandchildren filling the house, once I inherit the entire cultivation, Aptitude, and beneficial states of some unlucky guy...

Pfft!!!

I mean, some well-behaved grandson or great-grandson who dies of old age... then...

Images and words flashed through Chen Jun's mind that made his blood boil just thinking about them:

"Why should I, Chen Jun, explain my actions in life to you?!" followed by the backdrop of extinguishing a galaxy with a flick of a finger.

"At the peak of immortality, looking down on the world, where I, Chen Jun, am, there is the heavens!" followed by standing on the wreckage of the warships of those who refused to submit.

"I'm not targeting you, I'm saying everyone present here is trash!" followed by sweeping the entire field.

"If the heavens had not given birth to me, Chen, the galaxy would have been like a long night for eternity!" followed by leaving with style, maxing out his aura.

...

Just thinking about it felt great!

But now!

It wasn't the time yet...

If one does not tolerate small things, they will spoil the great plan!

Thus, under the aggressive gaze of Zhao Ming and the curious, disdainful, or schadenfreude-filled stares of those around him, Chen Jun simply gave a faint "Oh."

His voice was calm and waveless, devoid of any emotion.

Then, without saying anything else, without even glancing at Zhao Ming again, he turned around, hands in his pockets, and walked away with leisurely steps, swaying as if nothing had happened.

He left?!

Just like that?!

Zhao Ming was stunned...

The series of subsequent reprimands, threats, and even calls for guards he had prepared were all stuck in his throat...

He had anticipated that the other party might apologize in a panic, try to use connections to pressure him, or argue back defiantly...

But he never expected this kind of reaction!

That "Oh" was as bland as hearing "The weather is nice today."

The back of him turning to leave was as leisurely as someone taking a post-meal stroll and encountering a random passerby they didn't know.

This was complete and utter disregard!

It was an extreme indifference that didn't put Zhao Ming—didn't put a Planet-level Expert and Deputy Minister of the Federal Supreme Propaganda Department—in his eyes at all!

Zhao Ming's face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver!

He felt as if his full-powered punch had hit empty air, almost straining his waist!

A feeling of being severely humiliated surged into his heart!

This bastard!

How could he... how dare he?!

"You...!" Zhao Ming was so angry his fingers trembled, pointing at Chen Jun's back, wanting to say more.

But Chen Jun had already walked far away, merging into the crowd in the distance, his back no longer visible.

"Hmph! Consider yourself sensible!" Zhao Ming forcibly suppressed his anger and snorted coldly, finding an excuse for himself, "This kind of unruly playboy is only tough with his mouth; when he really encounters trouble, he turns into a coward!"

He straightened his tie, which had become crooked due to his excitement, stood up straight again, and resumed the majestic appearance of a high-ranking federal official.

At this moment, the people around who were good at reading the situation and bootlicking immediately crowded around.

"Minister Zhao is mighty! You saw at a glance that the brat was no good!"

"Exactly! Who knows what corner he crawled out of to mix in here, daring to collide with Minister Zhao; he must be blind!"

"Minister Zhao, you truly have eyes of fire and gold, upholding justice! With you presiding, today's live broadcast is absolutely foolproof!"

"If you ask me, Minister Zhao, you are just too hands-on! These small matters of maintaining order should be left to subordinates; for you to personally oversee them, you truly are a model for our generation!"

"That's right! Minister Zhao, you were able to reach your current position because of this discernment and this sense of responsibility! With the cultivation of a beginner Planetary Level, yet holding an important position comparable to the governor of a life planet—that is true ability!"

Various flattery flooded in like a tide, making Zhao Ming feel a bit floaty.

He proudly stroked his non-existent beard and smiled reservedly: "You all flatter me; it is just my duty. Maintaining the Federation's image and ensuring the smooth progress of the celebration is our responsibility."

He enjoyed the flattery of the crowd, and the slight unpleasantness from earlier gradually dissipated.

Just an ignorant playboy, not worth mentioning!

Once the celebration was over, he had plenty of ways to find out who that brat was and then deal with him slowly!

...

Chen Jun wandered away from the noisy live broadcast core area, found a relatively quiet viewing platform, leaned against the railing, and continued to enjoy the starry sky and the scenery of Kunlun Star below. The insignificant annoyance in his heart had long since vanished.

Getting angry with an ant is something only a fool would do!

He hummed an out-of-tune ditty, calculating whether to accompany Lin Wei to watch a new holographic movie when he returned tonight, or to tease little Changxi?

Just then, a voice, loud as a bell and carrying familiar warmth, sounded behind him:

"Mr. Chen! Why are you here alone? You made it hard for old Shi to find you!"

Chen Jun turned around and saw a bald, burly man with a physique like a mountain, wearing a dark brown robe that looked simple but was made of extremely exquisite material, striding over. It was none other than Great Emperor Panshi, Shi Yue!

Shi Yue's face was piled with an enthusiastic smile, and he crossed the distance to Chen Jun in a few steps, his posture not at all like that of a Stellar Level big shot.

"Senior Shi." Chen Jun greeted with a smile.

Regarding these Stellar-level Experts who had once "used" him, and now, because of his precious daughters, were polite and even a bit ingratiating towards him, Chen Jun's mindset was very peaceful.

Tools?!

That was in the past!

"Oh my, I can't bear for you to call me Senior!" Shi Yue waved his hands repeatedly, his tone exaggerated, "Just call me old Shi! Let's go, let's go, the banquet is about to start. I came looking for you specifically; let's go to the inner hall together! It's quiet over there!"

The inner hall he spoke of was a core area that only Stellar-level Experts and their specially invited guests could enter, and the treatment was a world of difference from the outside.

Chen Jun smiled and didn't decline: "Alright, then I'll trouble Senior Shi."

"No trouble, no trouble! Please! Please!" Shi Yue turned to the side to lead the way, his attitude impossibly good.

The two walked side by side, with Shi Yue deliberately lagging half a step behind, chatting familiarly with Chen Jun as they walked. The content was nothing more than what novel gadgets he had found recently, and how he would bring them for Chen Jun to play with next time.

This was a daily operation for these Stellar Level big shots—sending gifts every few days and showing concern, striving to make Chen Jun's "last six years" incomparably comfortable, lest he one day think of something rash and leave behind some "last words" that would be detrimental to everyone.

Chen Jun was happy to accept it; anyway, it would be a waste not to take it, so he just considered it saving up Family assets for his wife and children.

...

Meanwhile, in the outer banquet area.

Zhao Ming was smugly accepting wave after wave of toasts and compliments, feeling that his life had reached a small climax!

He held his wine glass, weaving through various celebrities, chatting and laughing, fully displaying his "excellent ability" and "personal charm" as a "beginner Planetary Level who holds a high position."

Just then, his gaze inadvertently swept across the special passage leading to the inner hall, separated by an energy light screen.

Then, he saw a scene that he would never forget, one that made his blood almost freeze instantly!

He saw that the young man who had just been sternly reprimanded by him, the one he had deemed a "wasteful playboy relying on Family resources," was walking side by side, laughing and talking, with a bald, burly man whose aura was like an abyss and a vast sea, making his Soul tremble!

And that bald, burly man... even if Zhao Ming were blind, he would recognize him!

That was Great Emperor Panshi, Shi Yue!

One of the Federation's top Stellar-level Experts!

An ancient existence who had lived for tens of thousands of years!

His strength was unfathomable, and his status was incomparably revered!

Normally, he, Zhao Ming, didn't even have the qualifications to meet the other party!

And now...

Great Emperor Shi Yue was actually... actually so polite to that young man?!

Even... that slightly sideways posture leading the way, that undisguised enthusiastic smile on his face... it clearly carried a hint of... ingratiation?!

How is this possible?!

Zhao Ming's brain went "buzz," and it went blank!

The wine glass in his hand almost fell to the ground!

He stared fixedly at the young man's profile, confirming without a doubt that it was the guy he had just scolded mercilessly!

A cold chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight to his crown!

Who... who exactly is he?!

To be treated like this by Great Emperor Shi Yue?!

What the hell did I just... what did I just do?!

Zhao Ming's face instantly turned as pale as paper, and cold sweat poured out from his forehead and back like a waterfall, instantly soaking his expensive formal wear!

The few people around him who were still flattering him noticed his abnormality, followed his gaze, and also instantly turned to stone, silent as cicadas in winter!

At the entrance of the passage, Shi Yue seemed to sense something and glanced over here casually.

That gaze was plain and unremarkable, without even deliberately exerting pressure.

But in Zhao Ming's eyes, it was like the gaze of death!

He felt his heart being gripped by an invisible, giant hand, and his breathing stopped abruptly!

Fortunately, Shi Yue's gaze just swept past, seemingly not caring at all about this "little bug," and he continued to smile and talk to Chen Jun as they both disappeared behind the light screen of the inner hall.

Only when their figures disappeared did Zhao Ming, as if exhausted, stumble a step and lean against the pillar nearby, gasping for air, his whole body soaked in cold sweat.

"Minister... Minister Zhao, are... are you okay?" the person next to him asked cautiously, his voice trembling.

Zhao Ming didn't answer; only one thought was in his mind:

It's over!

I kicked an iron plate!

No!

I kicked a titanium alloy armor plate!

And the kind with an anti-matter energy shield!

A person who could be treated politely by an existence like Great Emperor Shi Yue, their background... their identity... was simply unimaginable!

A direct descendant of an ancient Hidden Family?

The illegitimate child of some supreme existence?

Or... was he himself some old monster who knew how to maintain his youth?

Countless speculations rolled wildly in his mind, each one making him shudder!

Recalling his arrogant reprimand just now, those insulting words like "waste," "playboy," and "leeching off heat"...

Zhao Ming wished he could slap himself a few times!

His heart must have been covered in pig fat!

His eyes must have grown on his butt!

How was that being cowardly?

That was simply disdain to bicker with a small character like himself!

That was the demeanor of a true big shot!

It was the indifference of looking down on an ant!

He was still smug, thinking he had scared the other party away...

Thinking about it now, that "Oh" from the other party, that back turning to leave indifferently, was clearly a kind of pity!

It was the arrogance of being too lazy to step on a stink bug!

"Truly... truly worthy of being a super big shot who can chat and laugh with Stellar-level Experts... This demeanor... this bearing..." Zhao Ming muttered to himself, Soul-lost, his face full of lingering fear and immense awe.

He did not doubt at all that as long as that big shot revealed the slightest dissatisfaction, he wouldn't even need to open his mouth himself; Great Emperor Shi Yue or any random Stellar Level Expert could, with a flick of a finger, make him, Zhao Ming, along with the Family forces behind him, vanish into ashes instantly!

The fact that he could stand here unharmed now was all thanks to the other party "not holding a grudge against a petty person"!

"No... I must... I must find a way to remedy this... I must remedy it..." Zhao Ming forced himself to calm down, his brain running at high speed.

Apologize?

How to apologize?

Rush directly into the inner hall?

He couldn't even enter the door!

Use connections to pass a message?

Find whom?

Who would dare help him touch the bad luck of that big shot?

Zhao Ming was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan; his previous high spirits had long since vanished, leaving only endless fear and regret.

He realized that whether his official career could be preserved was secondary; the key was whether he could save his own life!

...

Inner hall.

The environment here was completely different from the outer hall, more quiet and luxurious.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling star-gazing windows was the vast galaxy, soft light spilled down, and top-tier energy incense flowed in the air, refreshing the mind.

There were only a few dozen people, all of whom were Stellar-level Experts with auras as deep as the sea, either sitting quietly alone or chatting in low voices in groups of two or three.

Chen Jun's arrival attracted some gazes.

Most of these gazes carried smiles, gentleness, and a hint of indescribable complexity.

They all knew who Chen Jun was, and they also knew his "current" value and the trouble that not currying favor with him might bring in the "future."

On the surface, they all maintained a forced politeness... or even a hint of imperceptible ingratiation?

Shi Yue enthusiastically arranged an excellent seat for Chen Jun and personally poured him a glass of drink that radiated starlight.

"Mr. Chen, you sit for a moment; I'm going to go greet a few old guys," Shi Yue said with a smile.

"Senior Shi, please go ahead." Chen Jun nodded and leaned comfortably into the soft seat, admiring the starry sky outside the window, relaxed and content.

He could feel those obscure gazes, but he didn't care.

His current mindset was just to watch the show.

To watch these top federal big shots celebrate his daughters' birthdays.

This feeling...

Was a bit secretly satisfying?

At this moment, a cold figure sat down in the seat next to him.

It was Master of the Sky-Patrol Pavilion, Chu Yueyao.

Her temperament was cold and aloof; she glanced at Chen Jun, her eyes complex, and finally spoke faintly: "You are quite leisurely."

Chen Jun smiled and picked up his cup to gesture to her: "Master of the Sky-Patrol Pavilion, Yue Yao, you look like you're in good spirits too."

Chu Yueyao gave a light hum, and the two began to chat about daily life, talking and laughing.

The atmosphere in the inner hall was subtle and calm.

It was a world of difference from the anxious and fearful mindset of Zhao Ming in the outer hall.

Chen Jun took a sip of the starlight drink; it tasted good, the energy was gentle, and it was of great benefit to a Mortal Body.

He glanced at Chu Yueyao, who was forcing a smile beside him, and then looked at Shi Yue in the distance, who was exchanging pleasantries with other experts and occasionally paying attention to his side, and the secret satisfaction in his heart grew even stronger.

Who could have imagined that an F-rank waste, who was still worrying about the next meal in a shantytown a dozen years ago, could now sit in this top circle of the Federation, making these Stellar Level big shots either curry favor, feel wary, or have complex feelings?

Life!

It is truly wonderful!

He became even more determined in his "Dao of Survival": making a fortune in silence is the hard truth.

Today you ignore me, tomorrow I will let you... forget it, tomorrow I won't bother with you either...

A true expert!

It's not about how many enemies one can eliminate, but about how many enemies one can make afraid of, and unable to become, enemies!

I, Chen Jun, in my life, do not fight for momentary anger, but only for eternal peace!

Hmm...

my perspective has opened up!

Comfortable!

Just as Chen Jun was immersed in his "philosophy of the immortal," the space toward the main seat of the inner hall fluctuated slightly, and a plain white figure quietly emerged.

Leader Yun Xi had arrived.

The highest climax of the celebration was about to come.